Perennials spread a lovely bright cheer all through the year! These flowers bloom for many seasons, imbuing your garden with pretty colors and delightful fragrances. Perennial plants are comparatively low maintenance and are great as borders, ground covers as well as refreshing, decorative elements.
Guide to flower gardening with perennials
Some perennials live for many years, while some live only for a few years. There are foliage as well as flowering perennials so you can plan a beautiful garden with both types. Perennials disappear every fall with their roots surviving winter, and in spring, they show themselves again. Perennials have deeper roots than annuals helping them to survive for as long as they do.
When should you plant perennials
Plant your perennials in spring or fall. The cool weather allows the plants time to establish their roots in the soil. Besides, you could get your plants on sale at these times of the year.
Perennials grow really well in loose, loamy soil which is well-drained and to which you add organic matter and compost. Prepare the soil in spring if you want to plant in fall. Be sure to water the plants before you plant them.
Selecting your perennials
You can choose from container grown perennials in which the plants are rooted already to soil. All you have to do is loosen your plant’s roots and plant in the planting zone suitable for the perennial.
Bare root perennials are also available which come to you without the container. The roots should be soaked in water before you plant them.
Grouping similar perennials would make it easier for you to maintain them. You can create a contrast with striking colors or form any other arrangement if you can find out when particular perennials bloom.
Some examples of perennials:
1. Blanket flower (Gaillardia)
These flowers grow easily and so a favorite with professionals and beginners. They come back every spring, and fill gardens with their bright flowers and foliage. It needs full sun, can thrive in poor soil, and the 3 inch wide flowers are either double or single. It flowers the first year of planting, and blooms from summer to fall. Their height is about 3 ft.
2. Hydrangeas
Hydrangeas are charming and elegant and one of the most popular perennials. The colors are lavender, pink, white and blue. They can live upto an incredible 50 years. Plant your hydrangeas after the last frost of spring or before the first frost in fall. Partial sun is enough for these beauties which transform your garden into an elegant haven.
3. Hostas
Hostas, with their tropical look brings drama into your garden. You can plant different varieties of Hostas, as they come in white/purple flowers, and in lovely shades of green. The lighter colored leaves need more sun otherwise they do well in the shade too. Hostas lives for decades if cared well.
4. Summer Lilacs (Butterfly Bush)
Butterflies make any garden come alive. The blooms on this perennial are butterfly magnets and it is delightful to see them all through summer and the fall months. The flowers are lavender pink, dark purple and white. The shrub needs to be pruned every year, and prefers full sun.
5. Phlox paniculata
The large trusses of pretty colored flowers which bloom from summer to fall is a favorite perennial. It suits cottage gardens the best and can be planted as a border plant for the backyard as well. It does well in shady as well as sunny areas. It requires moist and well-drained soil.
Perennials need to be covered in mulch during winter to save them from the snow and ice. A little care initially at the time of planting is what most perennials need, after which they can survive for decades, and bring you joy year after year.
Article Submitted By Community Writer